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6.29.2011

Art collector

My mom and mother-in-law are both collectors. They have years' worth of beautiful tokens and mementos seamlessly displayed in their homes. Their collections make their homes warm, and personal and I'm always drawn to them, but somehow the collecting bug didn't rub off on me. While I'm constantly tweaking my space and trying to conjure up the perfect fill in the blank for a certain spot, I'm more of a purger by nature, ransacking the basement like a madwoman every six months. Maybe I'm fickle. Like a tattoo, I never want the reminder of something I used to love taking up valuable real estate in my house.

These days, my kids are my artists and my muses. I suppose their artwork is my only collection. I am forever picking up scribbled coloring book pages, random sheets of paper of any variety, and even tin foil, covered in three and five year old doodles.

scribbles gathered in a tupperware in the living room...

by the front window...

on the chair...

and even on the stove.

I will admit, occasionally certain doodles (usually of the ripped coloring book variety) end up “falling” into the garbage after bedtime. Often, I get caught, which usually doesn’t end so well. My daughter is onto me these days. As much as I try to guide them into choosing some to keep, some to toss and some to display, most of them end up on the refrigerator, the mudroom door, or anywhere else about three feet high.

Some days the dribs and drabs of paper I find feels like never-ending clutter, but I try to remind myself in those moments, that at some point, they probably won’t want to make me pictures every day. They might become self-conscious of their art, or even lose interest in it altogether, which I hope never happens.

For now, I love their openness, their colorful view of the world and the way they love to create for other people.

Someday, I’ll get around to creating a gallery wall or two of my kiddos’ work, but in the meantime, I’ll let them display their work proudly almost anywhere their little hands can reach

What do you collect? Any favorite tips for displaying or rotating your collections?

I adore kids art...we used to have a "wall of work" on the side of our kitchen cabinet. then it moved to the other side. Every square inch was covered and my 5 year old was so proud. It made me sad when we moved, but I framed several things my kids made and so now the walls in our laundry room are bright and cheerful. I think I still love it best when the art is held up by rolled tape and Dora magnets!

Welcome

I am a lifelong home and design-lover prone to spontaneously rearranging furniture and obsessing over paint swatches. An English teacher-turned-stay-at-home-mom, I'm contemplating what's around the corner for me as my little kids become bigger ones.

Out on a Limb is my grown-up space to explore my thoughts and indulge in my love for writing and design. Join me as I go out on a limb and try something new.